Archive for the ‘La Marzocco’ CategorySCG’s Latte Art Extravaganza: The Training
July 15th, 2011
In our quest to produce something other than a star nebula atop our lattes, we asked Louie Poore to come tutor us in the ways of latte art. And we had a blast! Watch Louie give a basic lesson to Gail, Allison and Rob — including tips and tricks on steaming, pouring technique and keeping [...]  We asked a selection of our crew to tell us what machines they dig in the single boiler and heat exchange/double boiler class. Watch Rob, Jessica, Allison, Radoje and Gail talk to us about what their favorite gear is, why they like it and if it has any drawbacks. Crew Review: La Marzocco Linea Commercial Espresso Machine
June 14th, 2011
While we’ve carried the GS/3 for awhile now, we’ve decided to expand our La Marzocco selection to include their commercial-class equipment. Our first round of testing and reviews covers one of their most popular machines, the Linea, which comes with choice of 1 – 4 group heads and is available in manual paddle, semi-automatic and [...] How-To: Mavea Purity C Water Filter Installation
June 7th, 2011
Filtering your water is essential if you plan on plumbing in your espresso machine to a direct water line in your location. Without this, you run the risk of scale build-up that can only be removed by a professional taking apart the machine and physically removing the scale. How quickly this occurs will depend on [...] Tech Tip: Portafilter Positioning
May 27th, 2011
When is it time to say when? We’re often asked where the portafilter should be in respect to the machine — at a 90 degree angle? 45 degree? A little over to the right? Every machine will be a little bit different and the key is to make sure that it feels snug. Additionally, you’ll [...] Crew Review: Cafelat Group Head Brush
May 25th, 2011
You know we are so focused on cleanliness, baby! In addition to descaling, backflushing and washing all your gear regularly, cleaning around the brew head and keeping the gasket free of coffee residue will ensure an effective seal with the portafilter — and a better shot in the end. If you have a machine with [...] Field Trip: La Marzocco’s Strada Filter Basket
May 20th, 2011
Last week, Joe Monahan and Jack Kuo of La Marzocco were kind enough to talk with this about their new, highly-precise basket — currently dubbed the Strada (after their cutting edge pressure profiling machines). Watch as they explain the theory behind it, why they wanted to build a better basket and the calibration process itself. [...] Testing: Shot Blonding
April 29th, 2011
Should you calibrate your shots to a specific timing duration or should you pull them until the coffee starts to blonde? We play around with blonding using Lavazza Super Crema on the GS/3 to see how blonding affects the shot’s overall flavor. Do you experiment with blonding? We’d love to hear your experiences — please [...] Espresso Machine Maintenance with Urnex
April 15th, 2011
Keeping your equipment sparkling clean is just as important as the freshness of your coffee and dialing in your grind & tamp — in fact, without the former, the latter will be an exercise in futility. If we have to tell you that rancid coffee oils will adversely impact the quality of your shot, we’re [...] Playing with the La Marzocco GS/3
April 4th, 2011
We’ve been having a ton of good, clean (we swear!) fun with the La Marzocco GS/3 lately. A few weeks back, Gail pulled such a phenomenal shot from this machine and we wondered if she could reproduce it again. Watch as she works through the basic variables of dialing in a shot: Grind, tamp and [...] |
